Atlas (mitologija)

Atlas
John Singer Sargent: Atlas i Hesperide
Grupe	Titani
Roditelji	Japet i Azija ili Klimena
Suprug(a)	Plejona, Hesper
Mitologija	Grčka mitologija

U grčkoj mitologiji, Atlas ili Atlant (grč. Ἄτλας; ime dolazi od riječi atlaô) jedan je od Titana, koji su se, tokom Titanomahije, borili protiv Zeusa, pa za kaznu mora nositi nebeski svod.^[1] Po Atlasu je dobila ime zbirka geografskih karata, u arhitekturi figura muškarca koji služi kao potporanj te u astronomiji jedna zvijezda u grupi Plejada.

Atlas također igra ulogu u mitovima o dva najveća grčka heroja: Herakla (Herkules u rimskoj mitologiji) i Perseju. Prema drevnom grčkom pjesniku Hesiodu, Atlas je stajao na krajevima zemlje na krajnjem zapadu.^[2] Kasnije se uobičajeno poistovjećivao sa planinama Atlas u sjeverozapadnoj Africi i za njega se govorilo da je bio prvi kralj Mauritanije (današnji Maroko, ne brkati se sa današnjom zemljom Mauritanije).^[3] Za Atlasa se govorilo da je bio vješt u filozofiji, matematici i astronomiji. U antici je bio zaslužan za izum prve nebeske sfere. U nekim tekstovima, čak mu se pripisuje i pronalazak same astronomije.^[4]

Atlas je bio sin titana Japeta i okeanida Azije^[5] Bio je brat Epimeteja i Prometeja^[6] Imao je mnogo djece, uglavnom kćeri, Hesperide, Hijade, Plejadei nimfu Kalipso koja je živjela na ostrvu Ogigija.^[7]

Termin Atlas se koristi za opisivanje zbirke karata od 16. vijeka kada je flamanski geograf Gerardus Mercator objavio svoje djelo u čast mitološkog Titana.

Naziv "Atlantski okean" je izveden iz "Atlasovog mora". Ime Atlantide koje se spominje u Platonovom dijalogu Timaeus potiče od "Atlantis nesos" (starogrčki: Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος), što doslovno znači "Atlasovo ostrvo".^[8]

1. ^ Carlos Parada. Atlas u grčkoj mitologiji. (en)
2. ^ Hesiod, Theogony 517–520.
3. ^ Smith, s.v. Atlas
4. ^ Referencing Diodorus:
   • "[Atlas] perfected the science of astrology and was the first to publish to mankind the doctrine of the sphere. and it was for this reason that the idea was held that the entire heavens were supported upon the shoulders of Atlas, the myth darkly hinting in this way at his discovery and description of the sphere." Bibliotheca historica, Book III 60.2 harvp error: no target: CITEREFBibliotheca_historica (help)
   • "Atlas was so grateful to Heracles for his kindly deed that he not only gladly gave him such assistance as his Labour called for, but he also instructed him quite freely in the knowledge of astrology. For Atlas had worked out the science of astrology to a degree surpassing others and had ingeniously discovered the spherical nature of the stars, and for that reason was generally believed to be bearing the entire firmament upon his shoulders. Similarly in the case of Heracles, when he had brought to the Greeks the doctrine of the sphere, he gained great fame, as if he had taken over the burden of the firmament which Atlas had borne, since men intimated in this enigmatic way what had actually taken place." Bibliotheca historica, Book IV 27.4-5 harvp error: no target: CITEREFBibliotheca_historica (help)
5. ^ Apollodorus, 1.2.3.
6. ^ Roman, Luke; Roman, Monica (2010). Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology (jezik: engleski). Infobase Publishing. str. 92. ISBN 978-1-4381-2639-5.
7. ^ Homer, Odyssey, 1.14, 1.50. Calypso is sometimes referred to as Atlantis (Ατλαντίς), which means the daughter of Atlas, see the entry Ατλαντίς in Liddell & Scott, and also Hesiod, Theogony, 938.
8. ^ "What does "Atlantis" mean? And why is the Space Shuttle Atlantis named after something underwater?". 8. 7. 2011.